UPDATE: This story has only been confusion. It appears the new record was never set. Now it seems the source has been the Daily Mail, a story they wrote in January. Other outlets picked up on it, and information seems to have gotten lost and changed along the way. The Mail writes the -71.2°C reading was taken in 1924. But I guess it never became official, or something.

My conclusion: Nobody knows what the record temperature in Siberia really is. Someone else can work on it. I’m finished with this story!
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Russia is a country filled with mystery and tales. Yesterday I wrote here there were reports that a new record low temperature had been set for the northern hemisphere, in Oymyakon, Siberia: -71.2°C.

However that record remains unconfirmed so far. But media outlets have been reporting on it, examples:

The village of Oymyakon is the coldest point on the planet. The other day here it became colder to minus 71 degrees is the lowest temperature ever measured. The previous record was in 1933, when the frost hit minus 67.8 degrees.”

It was just a few days ago that Oymyakon became famous. With -71° Celsius, it recorded a new record cold temperature, which until then had been unique to 2 villages. Until then the record of -68°C had to be shared with the town of Werchojansk – however, this is now history.”

A new record cold was recorded today in Siberia. In the town of Oymyakon the incredible value of -71.2°C was reached, beating the record of -68°C set in 1933. All of Siberia and Russia are in a phase of intense frost. with -50°C in the region of of Dzalinda.”